Mood and Morale

Dear Dr. LeCrone:

I am interested in your thoughts on mood and morale. I think that I am unhappy in my current job because of the chronic unhappiness of some of my co-workers, especially my supervisors. Is it possible that I am letting their bad mood “infect” me in some way?

Unhappy Camper in Florida.


Dear Unhappy:

Have you ever noticed that you wanted to yawn if you observed someone else yawning?

Have you ever started laughing just because someone you were watching was laughing? Laughter is contagious and sit-coms used "canned laughter" liberally to provoke audience response.

Elegant, persuasive and mesmerizing speakers often capitalize on their ability to create a certain mood. They suggest certain emotions to their audience by displaying the emotion themselves.

Crowds can be "led" to feel angry, enthusiastic, forgiving, charitable, or even saddened by suggestions given to them by the body language of the speaker.

The spread of emotions from one person to another often occurs very subtly through mechanisms below the level of consciousness. Its effects are very important in many situations if life, such as within a family, a business organization, or simply between two individuals interacting and responding to one another.

Research has also shown that individuals in conversation often quickly match each other's facial expressions and other elements of body language and posture. Lacking feedback, such as a mirror or a video camera, we are often unaware of the body language that we emit. If we are willing to receive verbal feedback from someone, we can increase awareness of our own behavioral and emotional messages. If we are unwilling for accept this feedback, we may not be able to measure our body language.

If management and supervisory level personnel display genuine enthusiasm and optimism, others within the organization are more likely to think and feel the same way. Leaders who frequently display pessimism and a negative outlook frequently reap what they sow.

In families, a chronically unhappy parent creates a mood often mirrored by the child or children. This parent's unhappy outlook becomes the child's outlook on life and the cycle may often repeat itself from one generation to the next.

If you are frequently unhappy, but don't know why, examine the relationships in which you are engaged. Think about making some sort of change. Change your response to the situation, try to change the negative situation, or as a last resort, remove yourself from the situation altogether.

Harold H. LeCrone Jr., Ph.D. Copyright © 2005